Refrigerating apparatus



Aug. 1, 1,933- F. HENNEY E AL BEFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Feb. .28. '1931 5 27-1 jj gmvN oRs y nie/ L. au man Patented Aug. 1, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT err-ice 1,920,505 v mzrmonnarmo APPARATUS Charles F. Henney and Daniel 'L. Kaufman, Dayton, Ohio, assignors to Frigidaire Corporation of Delaware Dayton, Ohio, a

Corporation,

= Application February 28, 1931.. Serial No. 519,109 13 Claims. (01. 236-92) ture for the thermostatic control whereby frosting of the adjusting means is prevented.

Another object of the invention is ,to provide an improved means for sealing the air within the adjusting portion of the expansion valve.

Another object of the indicating means for calibrating the adjustment. Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

in the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a section of an expansion valve embodying the invention taken on the line 1-1 of Fig. 2, and

Fig. 2 is a section along the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawing there is shown at the lower portion of the expansion valve a lower valve casting providing a valve chamber 21. An inlet passage 22 extends inwardly. from the side of the lower casting 20 through an integral arm 23. An outlet passage 55 is provided in smother side of the lower valve casting 20 for connecting the valve to an expansion coil. A bushing 2% providing a valve seat is positioned in a recess in the lower portion of the integral arm 23 and has a passage 25 'therethrough connecting with the inlet passage 22. The needle valve 26 has a conical point at its upper end which is adapted to extend upwardly into the lower end of the passage 25 in the bushing'2d for closing the inlet to the valve chamber 21.

is guided vertically by a drilled recess 2"! in a cap nut 28 which is threaded into the lower valve casting 20 and sealed by a lead gasket 29. The upper portion of the needle valve 26 has a collar 30 threaded thereon against whicha coil spring '31 presses to resiliently'hold the needle valve 26 against the seat in the bushing 24 to close the passage 25. The coil spring 31 is seated within the recess 65 in the cap nut 28. A yoke 32 surrounds the integral arm 23 and has an aperinvention is to provide solder.

The needle valve 26 ture in its lower portion which receives thencedle valve 26 and rests upon a shoulder provided therefor on the nut 30 which is threaded on the needle valve 26.

The upper end of the yoke 32 is connected to a bellows 33 and a protecting cup 35 by the cap screw 34 which is threaded into the top of the. yoke 32.- The upper end of the bellows 33 is fastened and sealed to a relatively stifl sheet 'metal collar 36 which has its outer flanges clamped between the lower valve casting 20 and the cover casting 37 by. the cap screws 33. The bellows 33 is acted upon, by the pressure of the refrigerant within the valve chamber 21. A projecting member 39 preferably of a material having a low heat conductivity, such as bakelite, is threaded into the cover casting 37.

A thermostatic control means 40 has a guide ring 42 which is mounted to slide upon the upper cylindrical surface 41 of the projecting member 39. The guide ring 42 which surrounds the upper cylindrical surface 41 of the projecting member 39, has an inverted cup shaped bellows d3 having its lower lip clamped against an upper coni-= cal surface 44; of the guide ring 42 by a cooperat ing tapered shoulder upon a cap member 45 which has its lower end threaded to the guide ring 42.

This mechanical joint is in addition sealed by Slots 64 are provided for conducting the molten solder to the conical surface it and to the threads. By the use of the slots 64 the molten solder can readily flow to the clamping surfaces and the threads, insuring a perfectly sealed joint. By heating the joint all around the solder will 9 distribute itself. A rubber packing ring 56 seals the sliding joint between the guide ring d2 and the cylindrical surface 41. This rubber packing ring is held within a notch in the threaded bushing 5'? which bushing is threaded into a cylindrical recess in the guide ring &2. This bushing 57 has a shoulder at its lower end which together with the guide ring e2 provides an annular groove within which the inner flange 58 of the adjusting collar 59 is held.

The adjusting collar 59 is threaded upon a shoulder 60 which is provided therefor upon the central portion of the projecting member 39. The outer surface of the projecting member 39 below the adjusting collar is provided with callbratirm rings 61 which cooperate with indicating arrow 62 upon the adjusting collar 59 to indicate the present setting of the thermostatic control means. A thermostatic bulb 46 containing a volatile fluid is connected by a conduit 4'? to the no upper portion of the cap member d5. This connectin'g conduit 47 is preferably permanently welded or soldered to thecap member 45 to prevent leakage. A metal sleeve 48 is fitted to a shoulder upon the guide ring 42 within the bellows-43 to prevent the complete collapse of the bellows 43, thus preventing injury to the bellows. A kick-oil coil spring 49 guiding collar 42 and the movable top portion of the bellows 43 to extend the bellows slightly and to smooth the movement of the bellows when the bellows is compressed. A circular reinforcing plate 50 is held within a recess upon the under side of the central portion of the bellows by the kick-off spring 4?). A long coil spring 51 has its upper end pressing against the reinforcing plate. This coil spring 51 extends downwardly through a vertical passage 5? in the projecting member 39 and carries a button 53 atlts lower end which presses aeainstthe cap screw 3-; which is threaded into the yolre 32. The thermostatic control of the expansion valve is transmitted by this long coil spring 51 to the yoke 32. Our improved valve is responsive both to the pressure of the expanded refrigerant and also responsive to the temperature of the thermostatic bulb 46.v The pressure control oi the needle valve 26 vided by the lower bellows 33 within chamber 21 upon which the pressure of the expanded refrigerant is exerted. The changes in temperature within the thermostatic bulb 46 a change in pressure or the volatile fluid within the bulb and thus causes a change in pressure, by means 01' the connecting conduit 47, within the flexible chamber 63 which is provided between the cap member 40 and the upper the valve bellows 43. An increase in temperature within the thermostatic bulb 46 causes an increased pressure within the flexible chamber 63 which causes the bellows 43 to be collapsed slightly which in turn forces the upper end' of the long coil spring 51 downwardly which increases the tension in the long coil spring 51 and thus increases the pressure upon the button 53 and yoke member 32 to push the needle valve 26 downwardly against the tension of the spring 31 and also-against the pressure exerted upon the lower bellows 33 to open the inlet passage 25 in the bushing 24; p

By turning the adjustment collar 59 in a direction indicated bythe arrow at the side of the letter P (pressure) upon the collar, the pressure within the valve chamber 21 is allowed to become greater becausethe screwing of the collar 59 pulls the thermostatic control means 40 downwardly and closer to the valve chamber 21 and also the projecting member 39-50 that the long coil spring needle valve 26. By turning the adjustingcollar 59 in the opposite direction as indicated by the arrow at the side of the letter V (vacuum) upon the adjusting collar, the thermostatic control means to is moved mrther away'irom the valve chamber 21 and the tension upon thctlon: coil spring 51 is lessened, allowing the lower coil spring 31 to more easily push the needle valve 26 to a closed position. In this manner the pressure within the valve chamber 21 and the expansion coil will be lowered.

From this description it will be understood that the adjusting collar 1591s the only portion of the valve which it is necessary to rotate in making an adjustment. The thermostatic control means merely slides upon the projecting member as when making an adjustment. In

is mounted between the tion as is promember, means for sealing ber, a valve for controlling make a swivel joint between the thermostatic fluid conduit and the flexible chamber of the valve. In our improved valve it is not necessary to loosen the thermostaticbulb or any other portion of the valve or refrigerating system. The possibility of a leaky swivel joint is also avoided. All that is necessary is to turn the adjusting collar 59 in either direction according to the pressure desired in the expansion coil. The rubber ring 56 prevents external air from gaining access to the interior of the bellows 33 and 43 and also to the passage 52 in the projecting member 39. In this manner frost within the valve is prevented. While the form oi embodiment of the invenherein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, itis to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming 'witlim the scope or the claims which iollow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An expansion valve including a valve chamber, inlet and outlet means for said valve chamber, a valve for controlling the inlet means a tubular member mounted upon the valve chamber, thermostatic means for operating the valve including a flexible chamber, said flexible chamber" being slidably mounted upon said tubular said slidable mounting to exclude air and moisture, means for o'peratively connecting the flexible chamber and the valve, 9. thermostatic bulb connected to said diate the flexible chamber and the valve chamber for varying the operating temperatures of the thermostatic bulb and the flexible chamber.

2. An expansion valve including a valve chamber, inlet and outlet means for said valve channber, a valve for tubular member mounted upon the valve cham- 1 ber, thermostatic means for operating the valve including a flexible chamber, said flexible'chamher being slidably mounted upon said tubular member, means for sealing said slidable mountin; to exclude air and moisture, means for operatlvely connecting the flexible chamber and the valve, a thermostatic bulb connected to said flexible chamber, and means for changing the distance between the flexible chamber and the valve for adjusting the thermostatic control.

3. An expansion valve including a valve chamber, inlet and outletmeans for said valve chamthe inlet means, a tubular member having low heat conductivity mounted upon the valve chamber thermostatic means for operating the valve including a flexible chamber, said flexible chamber mounted upon said tubular member, a rubber gasket seal for said slidable mounting to exclude air and moisture, means for operatlvoly connectin: theflexiblc chamber and the valv a thermocontrolling the inlet means, I I

flexible chamber and adjusting means intermebeinz allda static bulb connected to said flexible chamber means torchanzing the distance between the flexlblo'chamber and the valve for adjusting the mostatic means for controlllng'the operation of said valve including a cap mcmberhaving a bel-' valve including a valve chamsealing the space lows therein sealed to the cap at its lower edges, said cap member being slidably mounted upon said first mentioned member, means operatively connecting said bellows and said valve, and means for sliding said cap member upon said first mentioned member to adjust said thermostatic means.

5. An expansion valve including a valve chamber, inlet and outlet means for said valve chamher, a valve for controlling the inlet means, a tubular member of insulating material extending from said valve chamber, thermostaticmeans for controlling the operation 0! said valve including a cap member having a bellows therein sealed to the cap at its lower edges, said cap member being slidablv mounted upon said first mentioned member, means operatively connecting said bellows and said valve, and a collar threaded upon said first mentioned member and connected to said cap member for sliding said cap member upon said first mentioned member to adjustsaid thermostatic means.

6. An expansion valve including a valve chamber, inlet and'outlet means for said valve chamber, a valve for controlling the inlet means, a member extending from said valve chamber, thermostatic means for controlling the operation of said valve including a cap member having a bellows therein sealed to the cap at its lower edges, said cap member being slidably mounted upon said first mentioned member, packing means for between said cap member and said first mentioned member, resilient means operatively connecting said bellows and said valve, and means for moving said cap member to vary the pressure upon said resilient means.

'I. A sealed clamping means including a pair of members having enclosed cooperating clamping shoulders and cooperating threaded portions and means for conducting molten solder adjacent said clamping shoulders. a

8. A sealed clamping means including a pair of members having enclosed cooperating clamping shoulders and cooperating threaded portions adjacent said shoulders for-adjusting the distance between said shoulders, and a groove in one of said threaded solder adjacent said clamping shoulders.

9. A sealed chamber including a bellows having an annular lip at one end, me'ans closing the other end of the bellows and means closing the lipped end of the bellows including a member having a seat for said lip, a second member having a seat for cooperating with the seat of said first mentioned member,

- threaded engagement portions for conducting molten threaded together for clamping said lip between said seats, and means for conducting molten solder to said seats for hermetically sealing said Joints.

10. A sealed chamber including a cap member having a threaded lip, a clamping seat adjacent said threaded lip, a cup shaped bellows member having a lip fitting said clamping seat, means in with said threaded lip ior clamping the lip of said bellows member tightly upon said seat and means for conducting molten solder to said seat.

11.. An expansion valve including a valve chamber, inlet and outlet means for the valve chamber, a valve for controlling the flow of refrigerant through the chamber, thermostatic means for controlling the operation of the valve including a flexible chamber, means for operatively connecting the flexible chamber and the valve, adjusting means intermediate the flexible chamber and the valve for varying the operating temperatures of the thermostatic means, and fluid-tight sealing means for preventing access of external air and moisture to the connecting means between the flexible chamber and the valve.

12. An expansion valve including a valve chamber, inlet and outlet means for the valve chamber, a valve for controlling the flow of refrigerant through the chamber, said valve chamber having a flexible wall, adjustment means acting through said flexible wall for controlling the operation of the valve, and an air-tight sealing means for preventing access of external air and moisture to the flexible wall without preventing the use of the adjustment means.

13. An expansion va ve including a valve chamber, inlet and outlet means for the valve chamber, a valve for controlling the flow of refrigerant through the valve chamber, said valve chamber having a flexible wall, thermostatic means operatively connected to the valve through the flexible wall for controlling the operation of the valve including a flexible chamber, means for operatively connecting the flexible chamber and the valve through the flexible wall, adjusting means for varying the operating temperatures of the thermostatic means, and an air tight sealing means for preventing the access of and moisture to the flexible wall and the connecting means between the flexible chamber and the wall without disturbing the adjustment means. 1

CHARLES .F. HENNEY. DANIEL L. KAUFMAN.

said members being external air 

